Ever Wonder Where Your Product Feedback Goes?

We get asked on a pretty regular basis, how do you determine what features are added into the next release of Microsoft Dynamics GP?

Or, do even look at the suggestions I post out on CustomerSource or PartnerSource?

Well, the short answers:

1.  The process to determine features is complicated.

2.  Yes, we do look at the suggestions and use that as one of the main sources of input.

The longer answers:

The best place to give your product suggestions is MS Connect . I guarantee that someone at Microsoft looks at every Dynamics GP suggestion submitted to this site.

So, how do we determine the feature list of a new major release? 

1.  We take feedback from events, advisory boards, online databases, support statistics, independent research, and combine the information into one large list.  We also include features that were cut from previous release lists.

2.  We take the features that rise to the top, and we go through the process of ranking each feature on several factors.  The factors center around our product strategy and direction.  For example, is this feature important to all existing customers or specific industries?  Or, does this feature make it easier to integrate applications?

3.  Each feature is also rated on how large the feature is to develop, small, medium, large, extra large.

4.  Then statistically the list is sorted, the most important features become our preliminary feature list.  From there we debate through the tough decisions that need to be made.

5.  I guess it’s not that complicated, but it is a time consuming process that we take very seriously. 

So if you have ideas for Dynamics GP, please use MS Connect . Having a customer or partner saying a feature is important carries more weight than me saying it.

Pam